


Neighborly

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Doctor Who Feels, Doctor Who References, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 09:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3971974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Smith likes having the pretty Vitex heiress Rose Tyler as his across-the-hall neighbor.  He likes her even more when he finds out how she slips in and out of his flat</p>
            </blockquote>





	Neighborly

John Smith was a great fan of the simple things. A cup of tea, papers to grade, his feet up on an ottoman and the telly on. Very simple, very quiet. He loosened his tie and ruffled his hair, having had a taxing day at the school where he worked, (he swore kids just didn't want to learn anymore) and walked to the kitchen to prepare his tea for the night.

Having cranked up the volume on the telly so he could hear, he toed off his trainers and walked to the kettle, settling it on the stove. As the kettle started to warm, he pulled out a tea bag from the cupboard but was interrupted by a knock at his door. Sighing and grumbling, he walked to the door and swung it open, certain he looked positively disheveled and well beyond caring.

"Miss Tyler!" John said in shock, trying desperately to fix his tie.

The Vitex heiress was beyond attractive, and kind, and brilliant, and John was pretty sure that the day she moved in across from him he had fallen to his knees in a very exuberant prayer of thanks. After that, he had made every effort to talk to her, but every other time he had looked presentable and rather attractive, if he did say so himself. He groaned inwardly at his appearance but offered Rose Tyler a thousand-watt smile.

"Please call me Rose," she said, her lip twitching slightly. "I keep asking you to, after all. We're friends. I moved out of my parents' to get rid of all that, remember? Don't like the coddling." She wrung her hands for a moment. "I'm sorry, you're probably busy, and-and you've probably got a girl over-"

"Why would I have a girl over?" John asked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh!" Rose grinned. "Um, sorry, shouldn't have presumed. But I was making a cup of tea and was wondering if I could borrow a bit of milk. Would only take me a tick."

John waved her off. "I'm making a cup myself. Come in, I'm just grading papers." 

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you." She looked incredibly nervous. It was moments like this that made him wonder if she fancied him.

"Please, come in, it beats an evening alone," he said, opening the door wider. "Besides, if you ever need anything, just come in. I haven't got anything valuable in this flat, so I just leave it unlocked."

Rose stepped in, still looking bashful, but with a little less nervousness. "That's very kind of you, John, but don't think that I won't take you up on that."

John laughed, shutting the door behind her. "Oh, don't worry. I have no doubt that you will." He hurried to turn the telly down to a level appropriate for having guests and held his arm out to the kitchen. "As you like."

Rose smiled and entered the kitchen, helping herself to sitting on the counter. Even though Rose had been to John's flat before for lunches or dinners, they were never dating and he was always nervous. He pretended that seeing her like that, perched on his counter, didn't affect him. Oh, but it did. It was a moment that made him forget that she had plenty of suitors. Worse than that, suitors who were more worthy than him.

The kettle whistled, making John jump. "Right!" He said, much too loudly, and set up a second mug and tea bag for Rose before pouring the hot water into the two cups. He set the kettle back on the stove and turned to Rose. "How many sugars do you take?"

"Two, one for luck," she winked at him, and he smiled at her, turning away the moment he realized he was blushing. He pulled out the sugar and then milk from the fridge, setting them on the counter.

There was really no sexy way to make coffee, unfortunately. But Rose thought he had lovely hands, and when she watched him pour the sugar into their mugs, she resisted the urge to shove him up against the fridge and snog him. Oh, he was a brilliant man, so clever, and kind, and well, he was very easy to look at. She'd had no idea that her across the hall neighbor would be so wonderful when she moved in. Of course, she had men after her, but she found that she just wanted John to notice her.

And he was excellent at making tea. Rose added that to the list before she left John's flat after tea, chancing a kiss to his cheek before darting from the room.

The next day, a rougher day than even the last, John slammed the door to his flat, stalking to the couch and throwing himself on it, lamenting at the stupidity of children. Okay, maybe stupidity was unfair... But none the less accurate.

After about an hour of laying on his face on the couch, he rolled off to make a cup of tea. He opened the fridge to find a light pink sticky note pasted to his milk carton. He squinted and pulled the sticky note off and read it. 

John,  
You lovely thing, thanks for the milk! Under your orange juice is a key to my flat. Feel free to borrow anytime you’ve got a chocolate biscuit craving.  
Much love,  
Rose Tyler 

John smiled to himself as he read over the note again. He slipped the note into a little address book that he kept on the counter and laid a hand on the closed cover. He rummaged around in his fridge to discover a key under the orange juice, just like she had said. He almost laughed out loud when he saw that the key had his initials carved in the top. He'd return the favor before he went to work the next day.

The two had sort of memorized each other's schedules. It was on purpose, as much as both of them would like to believe that it wasn't, so John slipped into Rose's flat only minutes after she had slipped out.

He left her a note with a carton of milk.

Rose,  
I'm not dissuading you from coming to my flat, but I don't want you to have to go to the store for just one thing. Not fair, that. Have a lovely day

Much love,  
John

She'd put the 'much love' to begin with. It was only fair that he said it back, wasn't it?

Over the next few days, Rose and John didn't see each other for all of their busy schedules, but the notes continued.

John,  
Absolutely furious that you have no cheese. Get that fixed  
Love,   
Rose

Rose,  
I've got cheese today. Stop by whenever.  
Love,   
John

Eventually, the tension between the two grew and they started to miss each other and test the waters with a bit of flirtation. Flirtation could never really hurt anyone, could it?

John,  
Missing you with each passing second. Are you ever going to be home?  
Love,   
Rose

Rose,  
I miss you greatly. I'll be home when I can. I'd like to be, it gets rather lonely at school  
Love,  
John

John,  
Waiting for the day when you accidentally walk in on me walking around in my flat naked  
Love,   
Rose

Rose,  
I wait with bated breath for that day  
Love,  
John

There was finally a day that John was home for more than just tea and bed. That turned out to be the first day of summer vacation. He awoke to the sound of a knock on his door. He glanced at his clock, which read 7:30. "Are we kidding?" John asked, groaning a little. "It's summer," he grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed and threw a dressing gown on over his pajamas. "Coming!" He shouted, slipping his feet into slippers and padding to the door.

He opened the door to a very frustrated looking Rose Tyler, wrapped up in her own dressing gown and holding up a calendar with the current date circled in gold glittery pen. "It's summer now," she croaked, her voice still rough with sleep.

"Rose, are you alright? You just woke up, didn't you?" John furrowed his brows.

Without saying anything, she threw the calendar to the ground and jumped him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crushing her mouth to his. After the initial squeak of surprise, John wrapped his arms around her waist. She kicked the door shut and started pushing him through the flat until his back was against the counter.

He flipped their positions, breaking the kiss for a moment to lift her to the counter. "Hello," he whispered, trailing his fingers up and down her waist.

"Hello," she replied. She ran her fingers through his hair and his eyes fell blissfully closed. "Always wanted to do that," she whispered.

Unable to keep off her for another moment, he pulled her forward so he was between her legs and caught her lips again. She responded enthusiastically, continuing to run her hands through his hair. Eventually the both of them had to breathe and she dropped her head to his shoulder, lips against his neck. 

"Missed you," she whispered. "So much."

"I missed you too," he replied.

She shifted her weight and John's address book fell to the floor, all of Rose's sticky notes (which he had been saving) spilling all over the kitchen floor. Rose jerked her head up to see what she had done.

"Oh," John said with dismay, glancing at the papers, "That's embarrassing."

"Is it?" Rose smiled sheepishly. She reached into the pocket of her dressing down and pulled out the green sticky notes on which John had written his notes to her. 

John beamed up at her. "Rose Tyler!" He said, his smile widening with every moment. "I do believe we're on the same page these days."

Rose giggled, "Maybe we are!"

They were engaged by the end of the summer.


End file.
